The Underground

A vast network of both caves and tunnels that are both artifial and natural that run the legth and breath of the Elfkin Lands. The Underground is an old place, holding secrets best left forgotten... be wary.

Fay blinks with her eyes, but even after this, she couldn't see a thing. At least, until suddenly the light of a small fire appears. She follows his example, but instead of fire, she makes a little lightbulb, which floats in the air right next to her. She can see the tunnel now, not that it's that impressive. "Vlad, you do know the way here, right?" she asks hopeful. She doesn't have a map of this, so she really hopes they're not just walking around.

"Nope, I dont. Never been down here before in my life... but I know which way is North. So that's a start..." he continues walking the well formed tunnel which leads to an open cave with many passages...

Fay laughs sarcasticly. "Well, that is very reassuring." she mumbels while she searches in her bag for pen and paper. Is should make a plan, so that we at least can go back from where we started. She tries to remember how long tehy already walked and then makes some notes. "What exactly will we see North, anyway?"

"Well... Up North obviously is the tundra and the Barrier Mountains, there are 4 outposts for the border patrol, and theres Bloodsand City. But as to where we pop up? That I don't know until we get there... should be exciting, right?" said Vlad looking over his shoulder at her.

Eyassa makes a face as she shakes out some pebbles that made their way in her sandals. She then quickly gets moving in order to catch up with the rest of the group. Momiji casts a soft glow that illuminates part of the tunnels with a purple-ish color. When Eyassa reaches the group, she makes a soft hum to indicate her presence.

Fay agrees with Vlad that it'll be exciting. But who know what or who they'll meet once they see the sun again. When she hears a humming sound behinds her, she looks right at Eyassa. She smiles and walks a bit slower so she ends up beside her. "You know Vlad very well, right?" she aks smiling. "For a long time?" She hopes that the girl doesn't think that she's too nosy. Fay just likes to know things.

Fay smiles when she sees Eyassa so happy when she answers. "You guys are really good friends then, staying so long together." she pauses for some times, so Eyassa can first answer this question and then her next. "Or are you more then friends?" She smiles with a curious look in her eyes.

Fay grins and looks at her paper again to make some notes about the tunnel again. "You look like you wouldn't mind." she mumbels before she looks up. "You two would really be cute together. So, if you ever decide to make a move, I'll be cheering you on, okay?" she smiles and grins. She lays her eyes on the small light beside her and makes it a bit bigger and brighter. I hope we won't stay to long in these tunnels.

Kazuha keeps walking in the dark, and wondered what is North so special for....
walks with everyone, and then decided to think of something.
" well why is North is so important that we must get there? Vlad?''
well this is going to be a long walk...

Fay looks up when she hears Kazuha and Vlad talking. She knows Kazuha just a few hours, but she seemed like a strong fighter and a good person. "Vlad told us his theory right before we went in the tunnel, Kazuha. If I remember correctly, you were there too." she mumbels just loud enough. She streches out her hand and finds the wand of the tunnel. She lets Eyassa walk by and then measures the width of the tunnel. She makes a note on her plan and hurries to follow the group again. "Vlad, are you going to decide which tunnel we take whole the way with that little coin?" she asks. She hopes he says no and when he does say yes that he has a lot of luck.

"No, I really don't plan on any of these things. They just sorta..." he breaks off as the tunnel leads to a larger one which looked alot different. He touches and observes the walls of the tributing tunnel they came from and then observes the primary one and he says "Okay, this is interesting. The tunnel we walked through was hand made recently by what I belive was Orc-hand. However this new tunnel also is also 'hand made', but not by Elfkin, Orc, or even Akidotoran. What made this was larger and more proficient at it..." he looked confused and thoughtful about it.

Kazuha sees the wall, and looks at too
Vlad, do u know who has done this? is it an enemy or ally? or your not sure.
i wonder who made this, and should we go down this new tunnel and see where it goes.
Fay u probably was right, i was probably wasnt listening, and thinking about what i had to do, by my other job. so i only heard few pieces but oh well. its over now... but thanks for telling to me.

"No problem..." said Vlad absentmindly while inspecting the wall picking off pieces with his Elfknife muttering "A vein of magnesium? Nice..." he then stepped away and said alright this could have been caused by 2 things, both of whic is unlikely. the way this tunnel was made one could guess that it was done by running water or lava. But the way these grooves are and with the tunnelk being so staright and d*** near symmetrical. I'm leaning towards something very curious: It was done by a Golem... I think we found an old Golem's project from several millenia ago. Which makes one wonder... is the Golem still down here digging?" he looked very curious and excited at the same time.

A golem.. thats pretty shocking news to hear... "
Kazuha thinks about that he found, and great sense of thinking of all this kind.
" i wonder why would the golem still be here, but its up to u to find it if its alive or ignored it and returned to our main mission. but i remember seeing a Golem wants... but took a long time tracking it from my experince.... haha.
its your choice Vlad, we are with you.

Fay walks forward and looks in the tunnel. Vlad probably was right. These tunnels should be pretty old, altough she wouldn't know if it was made by a golem. She bends through her knees and looks at it closer "Hmm, I think it's posiible that he' still digging, or maybe his succesor already, but we're here in the older parts. At least, this one is. So the ones where it leads to are old too. He probably isn't digging there anymore. It would be more logical if it's on the other side opf the city, making an other escape route. Of course.." she stands up and smiles. "I'm not taht good at reasoning and there has been a lot of times that I was wrong. We shoud proceed careful."
She stares at Kazuha and nods. "What she said. You've made some good choices up until now, so I'll follow you."

Vlad steps away from the wall and sighs as he thinks 'If only she and the others knew how much of a monster I was and can be'. He turns towards the party and says "I think we should camp here for the night, there's fresh air continually coming through here from the airshaft over there. So we can have a small fire if you want..." he is already setting his sword and gear near the wall. The he just realized something: He was the only guy in this party! But he'd cope with it, this wasn't the first time he'd have to work with a squad of women, afterall woman fighters were sometimes scarier than men he'd fought...

Kazuha looks at u, and smiles, and looks at him curious afterwards.
" oh okay. then. sits down and put her things on the wall, and falls asleep real quick, and breaths out, and alreadh put her things in a neat row.

Vlad sighs as he does the same thing with his characoal and Elfknife as last time he camped, saying the word 'burn' he makes a small fire. He takes out his runed sword after this and begins cleaning it. Each of the blades ruins catahces the light and shows off the many names on it: Locke, Roland, Aleksander, Fate, and so many others... hundreds even.

Fay doesn't like the idea of camping, but she doesn't plan to walk off on her own. So she just looks how Vlad makes a fire before she sits down and looks in the flames. She reaches out her hand, but suddenly stops when she sees a face in them. Fay, I will catch you. She hears it resounding in her head, knowing for sure that she didn't hear him saying it, but that the thought just appeared in her head. She immediatly turns pale, but when she blinks a few times, the face is gone. "Did I just imagine things?" she asks herself in a quiet voice.

Fay looks up, surprised to see that there's someone else there beside her. "Did I just fall asleep? I could have sworn I was awake. But still... How else could this have happened?" she asks completly off the world. She leans forward to the fire, staring at the place the face appeared. "Did you just see a face here?"

"No, I didn't... perhaps your just tired from earlier? Not many can walk away after fighting 2 berserkers and a handful of handlers. May be you just need to rest?" said Vlad quietly, still caring for his blade and sharpening it with his whetstone.

Still cleaning and seeing Eyassa and Kazuha still awake, Vlad asks "What's keeping you up? If your worried about the Golem, chances are he's hibernating like most of his kind and if he's not. He shouldn't harm us, we are Elvish blood afterall..."

Blood... On the floor, on that man. Two bodies on the floor, soulless. "Don't be afraid Fay, I'm just here to get you." The lips of the man move. Why does he want to get me? I want to stay with Mommy and Daddy. But one looks at them and even as a child, I know they would never wake up again. So I run, run away from the pain, run away from the man. But he catches up and grabs my arm. I scream and the house catches fire. One moment there wasn't even a sprak, the other moment the whole house was on fire. I paniked, pushed the man in the flames and ran, with only my Mommy's pendant in my hands. "I'll get you Fay!" the man yelled before I disappeared in the woods.
Fay suddenly opens her eyes and gets up. She's shaking all over her body, feeling her magic stronger than ever. He's close. I have to get away.

Fay feels a hand on her shoulder and freezes. But when she realises it's Vlad, she calms down a little bit. "No, I'm not. I have to go. Nobody will be save if I don't." she whispers more to herself than to Vlad. It had been a long time since she had this dream. No, not a dream, a memory. From the moment she ran from the man, she had made some kind if radar withing her. If he's too close, she usually sees this memory again. She breaths in and out, seraching under her clothes for the pendant. She stares at it and bites her lip.

"Relax... it was dream... a nightmare. It isn't real anymore" he sighs and says "I know your kind, High Elfkin that is, is especially sensitive when it comes to memories. Your memories and your ancestor's memories get handed down and 'remembered' by your children and their descendents... I cannot imagine kind of memory might be tormenting you. But all I can say is that the 3 of us here, me, Eyassa, and Kazuha will help you if want. We're all companions here. We need each other, right?" he smiled kindly down on her as she laid there.

Fay shakes her head, but still listens to Vlad's words. They were reassuring, but inside, she still felt that alarm saying: run! Run for your life! But maybe Vlad is right and they can help her. But what if the same happens as 13 years ago? What if everyone who she cares about dies, just to protect her? Will she ever forgive herself if she survives? But now she thinks about it, they're probably stronger than that man. Alone, it's hard for her to get away. But when there are four of them... She looks up in Vlad's eyes and sees his gentle smile. "Will you protect me?" she whispers. It's like her voice doesn't want to get any harder, no matter how hard she tries.

"Thanks." Fay mumbles shy. She's someone who likes to trust on her own ability's and not bother others, so it's not easy for her to accept others to help her.Fay gets up and looks at all of them. "You guys should get some sleep. I'm not feeling like going back there anyway." she sighs. She knows that if she sleeps again, the dream will return.

With everyone falling asleep, Vlad leans back and continues cleaning. But then he sensed something and sword Ruin resonated, but only happened when...
Vlad stood leaving all his gear behind, save his sword and scabbard and walked down the tunnel about a half mile. He was going to have a chat with an old family friend.
When he got to the location he drew his blade and said "Come on out, I'm all alone... Jack"
And from behind him walked from the shadows of an adjacent tunnel cam what appeared to be a man. Except he was covered in gray clthing and had his face wrapped up in bandages. It was Jack Gray, Death himself had appeared.
Jack said "Hello meatsuit, that blade of yours looking rather well... you on the other hand are as ugly as ever"
Vlad said "What do you want Jack"
"Awe, aren't you a sassy one. Here I am just showing my bloody manners to stupid meatsuit who happens to carry a cursed and sword stained with my blood, that outta learn me..."
Vlad remained motionless looking into the eyes of death
Jack sighed and said "I cam here on my own volition, to give you a warning meatsuit. Turn around or I'll end up collecting you too. Scary arse s*** is happening ahead of you and if you don't want to end up like most of your family and be lunch I suggest you head back while you"
Vlad said "I know your not one to lie, but I think I'll take my chances... is that all you have to say Jack?"
Jack growled and said "Like father like son, for almost a thousand years. I come and give warnings and they turn around and ignore them. You, born of the only family who I happen to ever ALMOST lose a fight to and made me their b**** until the last Mortem dies and that blade is destroyed. But whatever, I don't know why I give two s***s about you Mortem meatsuits... do what you want" and with that Jack faded back into the shadows and into nothingness.
But Vlad was worried, Jack could only take a solid for like that when there was a plague... or a massive murder. Vlad eased his breathing and went back to the camp...

Fay noticed Vlad left the camp, but didn't follow him. It would be rude and she wouldn't have liked it either. So she waits calmly until she hears his footsteps again. When she can finally see his face, she stares at him. "You have a different look in your eyes. Did something happen?"